Stockport foster families build support beyond their own homes
Stockport’s five Mockingbird hubs now support nearly 50 fostering families, creating an extended-family network for carers and the children and young people in their care.
The programme, run through Stockport Council Fostering Service, has reached its 10th year after the borough became one of the first local authorities in the UK to introduce the model following a 2015 pilot. The anniversary was marked by families gathering in Brinnington to sing The Beatles’ “All You Need Is Love”.
Reporting for demoduck.co.uk is based on information published by Stockport Council.
Five hubs create a wider circle of care
Mockingbird is led nationally by The Fostering Network and is designed around the support and relationships found in an extended family. Rather than leaving foster carers to manage challenges in isolation, each local hub connects families who can share experience, advice and practical help.
For children and young people, the council says that network can offer a stronger sense of belonging and continuity: familiar adults and families around them who know their situation and care about their wellbeing. For foster carers, it creates a place to talk through the realities of fostering with people facing similar responsibilities.
The model is built on relationships, but it also has a practical purpose. Carers at the centre of the hubs help hold the group together, providing a point of contact for families who may need support during the day or overnight.
More than 1,000 daytime support hours in a year
Stockport Council says its Mockingbird programme provided more than 1,000 hours of daytime support over the latest 12-month period, alongside at least 300 instances of overnight support for local fostering families.
Those figures show the day-to-day role the hubs can play beyond meetings or social occasions. Support may give carers room to manage family commitments, seek guidance or maintain stability when circumstances become demanding, while children remain within a familiar fostering community.
Councillor Colin MacAlister, Stockport’s Cabinet Member for Children, Families and Education, said the network was invaluable for local foster carers and their families. He described the carers at the heart of the hubs as “like the glue that hold a family together”, adding that their commitment can make a positive difference in a child’s or young person’s life.
A local route into fostering in Stockport
The anniversary also comes as Stockport Council seeks more local foster carers, particularly people able to care for brothers and sisters so siblings can stay together. The council says applicants must be over 21 and that foster carers receive training, ongoing support and tax-free allowances, with additional payments for clothing, birthdays and holidays.
Fostering can range from a few nights each week to providing a longer-term home, according to the council. Readers considering the role can also see how Derby’s fostering community has supported carers and families through local events.
Anyone interested in fostering through Stockport’s Mockingbird network can contact Foster for Great Manchester on 0300 303 0321, the council says.
Source: Stockport Council
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Source check How this report was checked
This article uses Stockport Council’s account of the programme’s anniversary, local hub numbers and fostering information.
- Confirmed that Stockport launched its scheme after a 2015 pilot.
- Checked the council’s stated total of five hubs supporting nearly 50 families.
- Checked the latest 12-month support figures: more than 1,000 daytime hours and at least 30...
- Attributed fostering eligibility, support and allowance information to Stockport Council.
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- Stockport Council: Ten years of Mockingbird
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- Stockport
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- 2026-08-12 18:10
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